


In the hotel waiting

by Estirose



Category: Kamen Rider Kiva
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-16
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-03-18 05:01:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 47
Words: 21,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3556994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Estirose/pseuds/Estirose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of fics set in the very defunct Kamendressing (and maybe one or two in other universes). A lot of them are from the dw comm musing_way. Mostly here for archiving purposes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Want for a child

**Author's Note:**

> I'll try to note where these came from, but I don't know if I'll be completely successful. The first bunch will come from musing_way on DW, where I played a gender-bent King version of Wataru.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Questing is my nickname for a female!King!Wataru. I ended up playing her on musing_way on Dreamwidth. Here, she considers the whole idea of having a kid.

I suppose I never really put serious thought into the topic. I was very isolated when I grew up, and I never really was exposed to the fact that girls are supposed to want children and become mothers. I think it's because my mother wanted me to be prepared for my own fate, which was to be married to another woman.

And of course, while Mio and I are expected to have a child, I can't afford to be pregnant myself. My role is too dangerous and too many people are eager to kill me. Taiga and I were lovers before we found out we were related, but I don't feel comfortable sleeping with him now because we're family. He seems to have no such reservation, especially if a pregnancy would keep me safe and out of danger. I've had to terminate one before, and I think I broke his heart doing it.

So, I will never have a biological child of my own, but if I can convince Taiga to sleep with Mio, my Queen, at least I'll have a niece or nephew. And that's all that I really hope for.


	2. Anniversary

"What are you thinking about, beloved?" Mio asked, the last word in the ancient Fangire tongue, catching Wataru's attention. Mio didn't speak the language, at least not much, nor did Wataru, but Taiga had been tutoring both of them in the language, which he spoke fluently. Sometimes it was hard to believe that Taiga was a mere two years older than Wataru, and three years older than Mio.

"Anniversaries," Wataru said briefly. She sipped at her tea - there was still some left after Mio had tripped over nothing and splashed it all over her, thank goodness - and picked her fork up again. Her mother had taught her all sorts of manners, the experience of over three hundred years of life. For someone who didn't eat human food that frequently, her mother knew how to handle a fork. Probably could handle one at a state dinner, though she'd never been invited to one. Or maybe she had; there was little Wataru knew about her mother's past.

"Um... our is coming up, isn't it? Our first anniversary." Mio was twisting her ring on her finger. It wasn't a wedding ring, it was a friendship ring, though they'd picked it out together, and nobody in the human world would know that it was something more. Wataru herself wore a simpler ring, a slim gold-colored band.

"Yes," Wataru said. "But... that's not what I was thinking about." She could name a few anniversaries; the day she'd met Taiga, the day her mother had left her to be raised by Kivat, the day that she and Taiga had met again, when she'd met Megumi-san and Nago-san.

Now, she had to think of being married to Mio as well. It had taken her a long time to feel comfortable removing the honorific from Mio's name, and Mio was the same way. Taiga had dropped their honorifics a long time before, but that was Taiga being Taiga, Taiga who had enjoyed being scholarly and didn't always care about social niceties or incest taboos.

"What were you thinking about, beloved?" Mio asked, reaching across the table. Wataru had to buy a smaller one once it was evident that the table, Mio's bed, and her own made things a tight squeeze in Wataru's small bedroom/living room. Technically speaking, Mio's bed was supposed to be the guest bed, but Mio slept in it pretty much every night anyway, except when Taiga stayed over. It was odd, Wataru had to admit, having to pretend to be sexually active. Or at least let Taiga assume she was.

She would have preferred to be with a man, but she wouldn't be disloyal to Mio; they were married by Fangire standards, after all. Even though an affair with a man was perfectly acceptable - she was the more fertile, after all, of the two, and expected to get pregnant - she wouldn't sleep with anybody but Mio.

"I was thinking about my last year...." she told Mio, smiling at her Queen to reassure her. "About meeting Megumi-san, and being Kiva, and meeting up with Taiga again. Being social. Though sometimes I wish I was still a recluse...."

If she'd still been a recluse... well, then, she wouldn't have been stuck as King, would she? Or at least not stuck in the role of King formally; nothing except her death would remove the tattoo carefully hidden under one glove.

"I'm glad I met you, Wataru," Mio said, smiling. This was not the clumsy, shy Mio of a year ago; she was gaining strength, even if she did sometimes still trip over her own feet. "Even if you'd never been King. I mean, formally."

"I'm glad I met you too, Mio," Wataru answered, reaching across the table for Mio's hand. She was rewarded with one of Mio's shyest smiles. "And of all the anniversaries that I'm thinking about, I think the one where we met is the one that I will remember the most."

Mio blushed. "I wish it hadn't involved spilled ice cream...."

"You don't have to be perfect," Wataru reminded her. "Remember, that's when Kengo-san decided to try dating you?"

"Um... that was a disaster, though I do still like Kengo-san," Mio replied, ducking her head a little. "But I like Wataru more...."

"And I you," Wataru said, taking Mio's hand with both of hers. "We may not be everything Taiga-niisan hopes, but I love you, and I hope you'll be forever with me."

Mio's smile was enough to light up the whole room.


	3. Eating Musicians

I'm so young by my kind's standards, but that's not what you're looking for, is it? It's a story from when I was young.

I remember once, when my mom took me out hunting. Now, I don't hunt myself for my food; my mother took care of my needs as a child, and Taiga seems committed to doing it as an adult. But she felt I should learn, just in case.

We were at a park down near my house. It's a lovely park, large, really. Mom loved hunting there. She'd listen to people talk, and then choose the loneliest. Or the one most interesting to her. Or bad musicians. Mom hated listening to bad music.

There was this one. He was playing... well, I'm still not sure what it was, but I remember my mom's face contorting. "Wataru," she said, "This is what you never want to sound like. Or play like."

But she sat down, and so did I, and we talked and we laughed and mom watched the musician. I have to admit, he was pretty bad and I asked mom if she had anything to plug my ears. She promised to get me earplugs.

When he was done, she got up and I got up, and we followed him. When we were alone with him, she berated him - well, mocked him - about his music. And then she drained him. I have to admit, I was scared; what if I played music badly? Would she eat me?

I remember her answer. "You are the daughter of Kurenai Otoya. And I taught you to play."

I have to admit, I am good at music. I don't think my mother would ever hate what I played.

But to this day, I've sworn that I'd never do that to another musician, no matter how badly they played. Because I'm afraid that my music would become bad, and then mom would come back and eat me. It's really silly, isn't it?

Assuming, of course, Taiga ever lets me hunt alone.


	4. Starting Over

I know someday I'll have to start over. All of us will, really, one day. We don't age fast enough to humans, and eventually, we have to move on. We are still mortal ourselves, after all.

That is why we have our True Names, names that will last us between lives, ones we never speak outside our own kind. The ones in Bishop's records. Mine is "Questing Dreamer of the Castle's Tree", and I've heard others. All pieces of poetry and nonsense phrases, that's what we use to keep ourselves together.

And still, I don't feel like I am Questing Dreamer of the Castle's Tree; I am Wataru. I suppose, when I get older, when I have to let go of my human name, then I will finally understand.


	5. Were Three

Taiga never seems to have lunch alone.

Of course, he never eats human food, so a glass of water it is for him, always. Mio and I still eat, better to pass off as human for Mio, and a habit I'm into, for me.

We are three. Someday we will be four, a complete set of Checkmates. King, Queen, Bishop, Rook. But Rook is dead and my Bishop is enough for me to handle. And besides, the three of us are family.

And as family, we eat together. Taiga always orders us food. Orders us a bit too much food, too fancy food. Mio and I are not big eaters, but I think Taiga thinks that this is a perfectly good amount of food. It's not like he can judge things very well, with Shima-san trying to make him eat human food and him being in rebellion by just drinking water instead. All he knows of food is that Mio and I like to eat it, and if we like to eat it, we will eat it. Besides, my doctor has told him numerous times that I can't exist on an all-Energy diet anyway. I've been eating human food for too long.

Dr. Takada knows me and my physiology very well. And it's because of him that Taiga and I have been seeking others like me - others that were born between human and Fangire while we were between Queens. I think Taiga feels sorry for them and wants to do whatever he can for those 'less fortunate'. Which means my Bishop has been up and down the country getting Fangire to adopt those raised by unknowing human mothers, and bullying Fangire parents into treating their kids as the 'right' kind.

And then he comes home, and takes me and Mio out for dinner. It's perfect for him, I think, because he was without family for so long, and now he has a little sister and a sister-in-law.

But in any case, he overcompensates. He is afraid to lose Mio and myself, me to humans and Mio to... well, whatever Taiga is afraid of this week. So, we're always together, always three. I get tired of it sometimes, Mio too, because we're introverts. We don't do great having to be social all the time. Even living together, we give each other space.

Taiga doesn't know how to do that, which is a shame, but he is my older brother, and I know he loves me, and I will put up with it.  
Collapse


	6. Opposite Sex

In most worlds, I'm male.

I know this because I've been in a place between worlds, and most of the versions I've met of me are guys. Most don't have the burden I do, of trying to be King, but I see a lot of pain in there. Life is not easy for any of me, sometimes.

I try to straighten things out for other versions of me. Their older brothers - or sisters, I've met two of those - are just as overprotective as mine. I just am the only one with real power. Well, me and Haunting. I've met versions of me who have convinced Taiga to find a new source of food, and versions that are prisoners in a world ruled by our kind.

In many ways, I feel fortunate, because I do have power. I can do things the others can't. But it's a heavy burden. It's strange to have sometimes more in common with other versions of Taiga than I have in myselves, and to talk to them as equals. And to get better advice from other versions of him. Particularly the women.

It says something about men and women, but I'm not sure what. Maybe I'll know someday.


	7. Generations

Generations.

I remember, once, sitting on the beach that defined one edge of the world-between-worlds that I found myself in, before I found myself here. I loved the place; I could spend hours there.

I'd ended up there after running across a version of my father, one much different than the one that fathered me. This version had been the father of one of my selves, the quarter-dryad one of me that had suffered a lot because of what he was. Of course, a lot of me suffered because of what we were; stuck between human and Fangire, some fighting over-possessive older brothers that were determined to make our choices for us.

I understood that struggle all too well. I'd fled my world after my Bishop, my brother, tried to kiss me, tried to arouse me. I knew what he was trying to do. Keep his little sister safe. But I couldn't sleep with him knowing our shared blood.

And I'd ended up in the place instead. At least no other versions of my older brother tried that on me there; they're more interested if I'm okay and if I'm ruling well. If I'm being Fangire like I'm supposed to be.

I sometimes think they have me mixed up with Haunting, the me that was sick for months as his body changed to be far more Fangire than human.

A person sitting beside me. Taiga. A Taiga from a world where my brother was born my sister, not that it makes it any easier for that me. She's not quite Ocean's sister, but the way they act, and the similar worlds they came from, means that they might as well be.

Her brother is resisting getting married, where Ocean didn't have a chance before his sister took one look at Kimiko and asked him when the wedding was. She consults with Ocean's sister, I know. They're working on getting her him to submit.

And she's just as protective of her little brother as my brother is of his little sister.

"How's Tattered?" I ask her, because she, of all the Taigas, seems to end up taking care of him the most. He seems to resist her less than he does the male versions of her.

"His name is Darkness." There is a danger to her voice, a darkness, a rebuke. The Taigas don't like the name I gave to Tattered, because it makes him look weak where his brother wanted his name to make him strong.

"Darkness, then." She hasn't won the war, but I acknowledge her version of his name. He'll decide what he wants to be called someday, and if he wants "Darkness", I will call him that.

"I fed him and I sent him home." She looks over at me. Of all the versions of me, she seems to think I know what I am the most. Haunting is a traitor to her, for clinging to his human blood. I merely tried to hide, and she takes comfort in that I was found.

"He doesn't want to go home." That was the truth; he doesn't have the strength to stand up to his brother. That's why he was in the place so often, staying until he dared not stay any longer.

"I know." She looks at the ocean.

"Did you feed him with food, or…." Like me, he won't ever be able to live completely on the Life Energy of humans. "He was a bit low on energy when I saw him a while ago."

"I fed him with food." She stiffens up in the way that says that she'd rather have fed him with Energy, but there's some kind of unspoken rule that they don't feed other versions of me unless they have permission or it's an emergency.

"Just as long as he's all right." I look at the ocean too. "He's one of me. I have to look out for him."

"As do I." She shares this with me, and I know that she counts it one of her responsibilities, even though he's not her brother.

"Mother left us with a heavy burden," I tell her. She doesn't want to talk about our mother, how she was betrayed and how I was left alone. "We're Kings. We have heavier responsibilities than anyone else. Ourselves, and our family, and the Fangire."

This makes her ease up a little bit. No, she does not want to talk about the woman who gave us birth in two different worlds, but she is willing to acknowledge that at least it brought her family. Something to cling onto. And the fact that I don't shy away from my blood, the fact that I know how to rule, the fact that I am Fangire.

I know it threw her the first time, that I was the one who took care of my brother, not the only way around. But in her eyes, at least he can't lose me. At least we have family.

If he has his way, we'll be family in more ways than one. But I won't burden her with that.

"Yes. And I'm glad you know that. So many of you don't."

I smile. "Then, maybe it's up to us to teach them."

She smiles, and I wonder if I've lifted a burden from her. But she says nothing, only takes my hand, and I suddenly wish I'd had an older sister too.


	8. Birthdays

It says something about the company I keep that I couldn't ignore my own birthday. I have to admit, I'd never forget it anyway, but it's never been a big deal celebrating it. I was raised knowing I'd live years longer than my human kin, so celebrating my tenth when my mother was celebrating her three-hundred-somethingth birthday was not a huge event to me.

But Taiga believes in celebrating, and Mio likes cooking. Taiga conspired to keep me busy and away from home, citing Fangire concerns and tradition and things that I'm supposed to be concerned with but he usually ends up handling because it's not my thing. Mio took the opportunity to make me dinner. Taiga might not eat much, but he likes keeping his family happy.

I'm sure if I'd stopped at the Mal d'Amour, as I am apt to do on quieter days, that Megumi-san would have helped celebrate too; but Taiga is quite into getting me to stay away from 'my' humans, and I think sometimes he succeeds.

And it wasn't too bad, really. Taiga and Mio are family, if unexpectedly so. I was pretty much born King; I must work with those who I'm supposed to work with. And sometimes I can even tell them what to do.

There are other days to celebrate. Other days to be with friends. But I like the fact that I have family, and I love those I'm with, for all their foibles.


	9. Fate, Destiny, Chance

I don't know if it was fate, destiny, or chance that brought my parents together. My mother tells me that the first time she met my father, he was insignificant; a human who had chanced upon the wedding she came to stop. How would she have known that he would fall for her, not realizing that love between humans and Fangire were forbidden?

Father, I think, didn't believe in either fate or destiny, no matter what he said. Mother said that he frequently referred to her as his 'fated woman', but he did that to a lot of women. He was apt to fall for any woman who was reasonably attractive. I think he was very surprised when he actually did meet my mom and he actually did find who he was fated to be with.

But then again, Father could be arrogant, or so I'm told. He didn't believe in marriage, he didn't believe in holding to promises, the miracle was that he recognized what his destiny was and didn't really fight it. When the time came, my goofy, genius human father stepped up and pretty much killed my predecessor because he loved my mother and wanted to save her life. Of course, he died of it, too.

I have his house, some of his looks, his surname, because my mother never had bothered with a human surname or even much in the way of human paperwork. And still I wonder what I inherited from him. What else I inherited from him.

It wasn't his destiny. I'm not sure what mine is, though Taiga will tell you it's to defend my people, keep them safe. I hope it's not his fate. Maybe my father was right; maybe there is no destiny, no fate, only chance.

I hope I can figure it out soon.


	10. Eclipse

Wataru looked up at her mother as they walked down the street to their favorite park. "Someday, little one, you will be able to turn day into night for a moment, as Kiva."

It didn't mean much to her. Kiva was going to be hers, but she didn't really understand what that meant. She did understand that they were going to the park that day because of the eclipse. Her mother thought it important that she have an education, even if she would never go to a human school.

She thought of the funny mark on both sides of her hand with the lettering she couldn't read, the mark that her mother had said was so important to her future. She had to learn so that she could be a good ruler, to make the Fangire into something new.

Little girls weren't ordinarily Kings, but she was special, precious. That much she understood. Someday she would grow into a protector and leader of her mother's kind. She wasn't sure about her father's kind, but her mom said it was because of him that Wataru wasn't going to have to hunt as often as most Fangire.

At the moment, she didn't really care. She was going to the park with her mom to see an eclipse. Her future didn't matter.


	11. Salted Earth

Salted Earth? My mother would have known what that was. It's when you can't grow anything because of the salt, right?

I'll have to ask Taiga. He was the one who grew up in Europe and speaks English. I only speak Japanese and a little bit of Ancient Fangire. Maybe a few words of Italian; my mom was fond of that language, and it's used a lot in music, I think.

I hate to sound uneducated, but I have to say, mom sheltered me very well when I was growing up. And I think Taiga would like to shelter me even more.


	12. Labyrinth

Development and Pioneer was a labyrinth of corridors and offices. Wataru had to admit she didn't go into office buildings much; they were a little intimidating to her, because she'd spent so much time in her little house, or in small shops, or outside. But Taiga needed to introduce her to the Board of Development and Pioneer, as King, and as much as she didn't want to go there, she had to.

So, she was dressed in a nice dress, one that Taiga had bought for her, one that allowed her freedom to move about should anybody get the idea of challenging her. "I'll help you fight," he promised her, but she didn't think she needed his protection; she had Kiva, after all. Her mother had taught her to fight when she was young, and she'd learned how to do it after her mother had disappeared.

But try telling that to her over-protective older brother! She was sure that he'd frown at her if she told him he was unneeded. In that way, anyway. She wanted to be in his good graces for the meeting, because she wanted him to do his best to keep the Board members from suddenly deciding that their half-human, Female king was someone easy to kill and replace.

Taiga ushered her into the room. Everyone was looking at them, which made her nervous, but nobody had tried to attack her yet.

"This is our King," Taiga said, after apparently doing a headcount and making sure nobody was missing.

"Our half-human King," one of the board members said suddenly. "The result of the last Queen's crimes."

"Yes, but here to make up for what our mother did," Taiga said. He focused on the board member. "Despite her human blood, Wataru's strong; and she's Fangire. She will put Fangire interests above everything else, as a King should."

Wataru wasn't too sure about that, but she had a desire to not get killed in a boardroom, and she wasn't sure about how to use the corridors tactically.

"My mother was a traitor," Wataru said, knowing that's what they wanted to hear. "I may have been born half human, but the Fangire are my people. I will do all I can to protect Fangire interests and keep humanity from evolving beyond what we can handle."

She remembered a beach, a Taiga that wasn't her brother, and the words he'd imparted. That she could get Fangire and humans to live in a world of peace. She'd need to pretend that she was exactly the King that they wanted before she slowly got them to her real goal.

Deception wasn't easy for her, but standing in this place, with these board members watching her every move, she knew she needed breathing room.

Once the board members got beyond their stunned looks, they started peppering her with questions. She was lucky that Taiga had anticipated them, and she was able to answer most of them with ease.

"Of course, I'm going to marry my Queen," dismissing the last board member's question with calm that she didn't feel. "And I'm sure she'll improve at what she does, too." Mio was terrible at her duties, which could have been why they were more accepting of Wataru and her blood than they normally might have been.

The board members looked at each other, murmuring and discussing things among themselves. At least they seemed to approve of her, outwardly.

But she didn't relax until she was back in the labyrinth of corridors, with Taiga watching her back. And she didn't truly relax until she was safely home, with her workshop, her violins, her simple life.

It was in this world, not the boardroom, that she could be herself. Where she could truly belong.


	13. Last Day

It was something that she hadn't desired to do, but it was something she had to do, and Wataru didn't regret it one bit. After a century of wrangling, of waiting, of killing those too old and too stubborn to listen, she had finally gotten her reforms to take place. Humanity might have been killing itself with its environmental choices, but the Fangire would live on without them.

An all-Fangire society wasn't what she'd had in mind when she'd started introducing an alternate food source, one that wouldn't depend on the humans that were starting to die out. But she could say that she'd accomplished what she'd wanted, finally. A world where her people, both kinds, could live in place.

Of course, she thought as she coughed, there might not be time for her to enjoy it. Her human blood had always made her a little bit more susceptible to human illnesses and human frailties, and she was sure that some of the eldest would love to make her pay for turning away from their traditional food source if they knew how weak she was now.

But then again, Taiga was guarding her, like the loyal Bishop and older brother she was. She hadn't told him she was dying, because she knew that he couldn't defend her effectively if he was trying to get her to live longer.

A century wasn't bad for a King, especially one with human blood so present. She wished she'd made it past three, but that wasn't going to happen.

"Wataru-" Taiga was there. "Are you all right?"

"I'll make it. I think." But there she was, coughing up her blood, and thinking of how glad she was that he was the only person to see that it was blue. Fangire genetics were funny that way; he was the only other one she knew with blue blood.

"No, you're not." Taiga's eyes were hard; after a century, he knew her far, far too well. "You're dying."

"Well, maybe." She might live that day, or she might not. Did it matter? "Giving birth hurt worse. And it's not like I'm your only family anymore, nii-san."

"Yes, but our daughter needs you."

"Our daughter can handle things fine, thank you very much," she said. "She is our daughter, after all." She gave him a smile. "Today is a good day to die."

"No, it's not," Taiga said, and teleported her out of there, even as she coughed up blood again.


	14. Lie to Me

I lie every time I get up in the morning, nowadays, put on a mask that makes me seem normal, ordinary, what others want me to be. To the humans whose instruments I fix, who I meet on the street, I am human, a young woman barely adult, just going through life as they all do. To the elders, I play the role of dutiful King, hoping that they'll give me one more day, one more chance to make things as my mother wanted. And to Taiga, I am his wonderful little half-sister who's making him proud, betraying what mother wanted in order to rule the Fangire as they should be ruled.

People want to be lied to, I think. I'm uncomfortable with it, but it's something I have to do. I want to make people happy; I think I put that ahead of my own goals.

Or maybe I'm lying to myself, and I'm really more selfish than I think. Maybe I'm becoming those masks that I show to the world. Because the time I have to be myself is becoming astonishingly small.


	15. Lesson Learned

She looked at her fellow selves, mostly male, a few women. They were from a variety of backgrounds, of heritages, of circumstances. She was one of the lucky ones, to keep Mother for so long, or maybe one of the others was, for there were those where Mother lived still.

But no matter what their heritage, every single one of them shared the same name. There was a quietness in their gazes, a belief that things would change someday. Even the most hopeless ones, like her sometimes.

It was the best, most important lesson any of them could learn, to not forget that things might change. It was one of herself that had given them hope of a better world, where their mothers' and fathers' kinds lived in peace.

It had passed from Wataru to Wataru, from those attending the previous gathering to those who hadn't. Those who had heard the future with their own ears. Those who suddenly remembered not to give up, not to conform, not to be what their older siblings wanted them to be.

Sure, some of them would have to be subtle. But Tattered was already speaking of talking to his Mio, changing her to change Taiga. Wataru was sure that Taiga would learn far too late that it didn't always take war to change peoples' hearts. It took belief, and change, and hope.

Which gave her some belief that she, too, could get her people to change. That she could get her brother to change. It would be hard, with centuries of tradition in her way, but she'd figure it out. Somehow.

After all, if Tattered, a prisoner, could change the world, why couldn't a king?  



	16. Sexuality

"So, of course you'll be sleeping with Mio," Taiga said with a twinkle in his eye. Or maybe it was the light reflecting off the glasses. "I'm sure there'll be no problem."

"She's a girl," Wataru half-protested, though she had to admit, she'd known that Queen would be a girl. She wished that her powers had come with the ability to be sexually attracted to the right gender and sex. Apparently they didn't.

Taiga raised his eyebrows. "Wataru, I know it's highly unusual to have a female King, but I have trust in you. You can do it. You and Mio will come to love each other. You like each other as friends, right?"

"Friends, yes. Sexual attraction, no." Wataru shook her head. "I have no problem being married to Mio. I think we'll work together splendidly. I'm sure love is not the issue - our relationship is on the way there. It's the sex part I have problems with."

"If the rest of it's there, the sex will come in time," Taiga said soothingly. "Just do the best you can, Wataru."

He was delusional, she was convinced, but eventually he'd learn better. And being married to Mio? There were worse things.


	17. Family

Family. That's tricky. I suppose I have a few - my biological one, of which my mother and brother survive. The one that I've started, though not completely by choice, with Mio. And the family at the Mal d'Amour, which is the one that I've found.

I knew even when I joined the hunters at the Mal d'Amour that I was the King of the people they hunted. I told myself I was doing my part, because I was King and no Fangire apart from my mother knew I was. Without a King, Bishop or someone else must do the traditional duties of one. It's a stopgap, and they know it, and I know they feel much stronger with a King in place.

But before the Fangire people knew who I was, I was simply Wataru. The shy girl that Megumi-san met when I was looking for varnish for my latest violin. The girl that mostly hung around because Megumi-san thought it would be a good thing for me to be with people, and Nago-san somehow decided I might as well do something to keep me out of trouble before I got married.

Somehow, I don't think he thought of me being married to a girl. To this day, I don't think he likes it very much. Technically speaking, I'm the enemy to them, but I'm still the girl that Megumi-san met. I am still, in a way, their friend.

They are as close to my normal life as I can get. Taiga would like me to walk away from them, but to walk away would be sacrificing one half of myself, and some of my dreams.

And that I cannot do.


	18. Berlin Lyrics

Mio and I huddle under the blankets. The bed's big enough for the two of us, and it's nice to have her here, despite the fact that she doesn't have to be. But we're trying, desperately, to be what Taiga expects us to be, because we can't be what he wants in other ways.

There's no sex in our marriage, no sexual attraction at all. We had to do it once, for our wedding night, and it's not something I ever want to repeat at all for as long as I live. But that doesn't matter. It feels good to be with someone warm, who loves me despite everything.

I will back Mio up and Mio will back me up. We keep the illusion that she wants to do her duty and I want to do mine, but we rebel in small, quiet ways. I can never really be me around most people, but I can be around her.

In the morning, she'll kiss me, but it's a reminder of the facade we have to put on. It doesn't bother me as much as it used to; I'm accepting it as part of who we are and have to be.

And in the meantime, she's warm and it's cold outside, and it feels right to be with her. I wonder if this is a side effect of King and Queen, like the attraction some other mes face, but I put that to one side. She's warm. She's unlikely to kill me. She'll protect me if someone tries to hurt me.

For me, this is all I need.


	19. Awake My Soul

I love both my peoples.

My father's kind, humanity, for all of its quirks and foibles. My mother's kind, the Fangire, for the traditions and beliefs.

Mother tried to raise me as both, and I think she succeeded. I know the Fangire have to change, and I know that I have to be the one to lead them into that change. It's because I love them that I want them to succeed, to love, to come closer to humans and stop seeing them as food.

The humans don't have to change that much. Maybe get rid of their fear, their hatred. But that's not something that I might be able to do much about. I've chosen to spend my life making sure one group doesn't eat the other.

I may die young. I probably will, by Fangire standards. Kings can be under attack at the best of times, but me? Few of the Fangire will love me for what I want to do. But I will do what I need to do, for both human and Fangire.

It's my destiny. It's what I was meant to be.


	20. Trade

I don't like killing. I've done it, both as Kiva and as King, but I've always preferred to let others live. I see it as giving them a chance at life, a trade of sorts. They don't cause problems, and I let them live.

Some Fangire would consider what I want to do as theft, killing. Some would accuse me of cheating them, though I think they'd rather live than die.

I will fight for my peoples, both kinds. I will protect Fangire from those who would kill them for being Fangire, and save humans from Fangire excess. I won't let Fangire starve, but neither will I let them gorge.

If people consider me dishonest, a murderer, a politician, I don't care. I don't like killing and I don't like hurting people, but I'm going to do what I was born to do. I will make peace for my people whether they like it or not.

I just have had enough of this. I can't be what everybody wants me to be; I can only be what I hope to be.

At least Mio will protect my back. Taiga will probably lead the war against me.

But there's nothing I can do about it.


	21. At Odds

"You're being unreasonable." Taiga's tone said more than that, but Wataru didn't care. She knew when she started the project to find a new food source for her people that very few would support her. In fact, she could count her Fangire supporters on one hand.

The humans that she'd taken into her confidence, on the other hand, were rather enthusiastic about the project. Not surprising, given that they were food for the Fangire. She could count on their support even if all of her kind turned against her.

Or almost all of it. She and Mio had discussed this over countless meals, and Mio, too, thought that maybe an alternative food source was a good thing. She'd gathered some of her friends, who were Wataru's few supporters. In some ways, the four reminded her of some of her fellow Watarus in other dimensions.

But Taiga… Taiga would never be convinced that this was a good idea, especially from his King. He was Bishop. He maintained Fangire continuity. Change was near impossible for him, though he'd accepted his half-human little sister easily enough. Of course, she had not chosen to be a crossbreed, and Taiga recognized that. He was the one who had worked to make people like her welcome in Fangire society and with their Fangire kin.

"I'm doing what I have to do for our people. I'm not helping humans evolve beyond Fangire control, I'm making damn sure we have a food source that's not humans if we need it." She stated her words calmly, and she was sure there was ice in her tone. All of her time around versions of her brother that were King was rubbing off on her.

"Wataru, I know you hate hunting. That's why I do it for you. We don't need to find an alternate food source, you just need to accept that part of your blood." She knew that Taiga was conveniently ignoring that she knew how to hunt, did it if she had to, and ate humans that he didn't find acceptable for his King. Or his little sister. "If you didn't have Life Energy, you'd die as surely as I would. There's no substitute for it."

"We haven't looked." Wataru folded her arms. "We've just always assumed that there's no alternative. I knew a Fangire that hadn't fed in two decades, and he was perfectly fine." Apt to fly into frenzies, yes, but he'd lived for twenty years.

"And probably insane. And besides, you're only sixty. You couldn't live as he had." Taiga was dismissing her words as surely as he ever did when he didn't want to think of what she was saying.

"You're sixty-two, big brother." He wasn't allowed to pull the age card on her. Hadn't she survived forty years of challenges? And hadn't she fought every single one of them without his help?

Someday, she would die. But at least if she changed Fangire society that wouldn't be too bad.

"I'm not trying to starve myself to death." He was pacing now. The scarf he wore around his neck gave him the look of a Christian priest, that and his clothes, and she wondered if he'd done it on purpose. "Wataru, I don't want you to die over this. You're my baby sister. Please, if you're not going to listen to your Bishop, listen to your big brother. You're the only family I have."

She sighed. "Taiga, I'd be challenged even if I stopped this right this second. This just gives them a better excuse than my gender and my human blood. And I'd rather them challenge me over this than those."

"Yes, but...." Taiga pinched his nose. "Please, Wataru. I'd much rather be with you than against you. You're my family...."

"And I love you too, big brother," Wataru told him gently. She drew him into an embrace. "I want you with me, not against me. I'd do anything for you but this." She was sure she'd regret this. Taiga might take her literally, ask her to do things that she'd always refused to do for him before. But it was worth the risk. She had to get this done. She had to do what she'd been born to do.

She felt Taiga relax in her embrace. He didn't want to be against her, either, and it was hurting him in the same ways it was hurting her. His arms circled around her back, holding her as she was holding him. "I think this is going to kill you. And if it kills you, it will kill me and Mio, too. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes. I do." Her words were firm. She held him closer as she said them. "For once, big brother, I need to take the risk. All the risks."

He was maybe crying as he held her tight.


	22. Work

My work? I have two jobs, in essence.

One is my job as a violinmaker; my mother taught me well how to make them, and I have to admit I enjoy putting the wood together in such a way that beautiful music can be made. Or not-so-beautiful, sometimes, but I really can't judge people. Not everybody can be a genius musician like my father, after all.

I would have just lived like that forever, if I could have. It's much simpler; make sure you have enough wood and other things for whatever you want to make - or repair - and enough to live on. I could spend days working with wood and keeping people happy.

My other job is simple on the surface; I keep - or I'm supposed to keep - humans from evolving past where Fangire can keep them in line. I'm still not sure about this part. Taiga hands me folders on who I'm supposed to be going after and pats me on the head on the way out. I read them, try to figure a way out of it, and then go after them. Nobody suspects a slightly-taller-than-average Japanese girl to be what I am.

I know some versions of me have problems with killing anybody. I'm reluctant, but I do my part until I can change things. If I have to move slowly to remake Fangire society, so be it. I'll do what I need to do for my people, both the humans and the Fangire.

It's my job, after all, even if it's not my official one.


	23. Organization

"Taiga," Wataru said with some exasperation, "You can stop trying to organize my entire life."

Her older brother looked at her sternly. "I'm Bishop. King is my concern."

"The Fangire are your concern. I'm just one Fangire. Your baby sister, yes, but…."

They'd gone around and around and around on this more times than Wataru could count. She'd have loved to be normal, but that wasn't in the cards, for her or any version of her. The world had a bad tendency to keep her busy.

"King is my concern." He adjusted his glasses, which he wore purely for show. His vision was excellent.

"Taiga, if you don't get some rest you're not going to do me any good." Sometimes that worked. Sometimes she had to ask Mio to do it, to get Taiga to let up. He really would organize her to death if she gave him half a chance.

"I get enough rest." He turned away. "I have an important job to do."

"My office is more ephemeral than yours, and I think that our people are more important than me." He wouldn't listen. He never did. She wished Bishop's powers had never gone to him. She might have had a much, much shorter life, but she didn't want him to worry himself to death. Which he would, if she gave him half a chance.

"Yes, but I'm sworn to assist King." He folded his arms. "Just let me have my way, Wataru."

She sighed. She wasn't going to win this argument, she'd have to send in Mio. "I'll let you organize if you sleep more, okay?"

There were ways around him. She'd figure them out. But this was a small battle, and one she didn't have the energy to fight.


	24. Wide Open Space

"I always wanted to go on a roller coaster," Taiga said, gazing up at the ride with a grin.

Wataru wasn't sure if she wanted to go with him. As much as she liked the sky, going up, that far up, seemed a little bit scary.

"You remember that, Wataru? When we were little kids, I wanted to go." He took her hand. "I wanted to go high up."

"You never did, when you were-" She remembered abruptly that his childhood hadn't been that fun.

He squeezed her hand, and she hoped she didn't look too nervous. Give her wide open spaces and few people around, and she'd be happy.

"No." He shook his head. "Look at it this way, we'll now be able to go on one for the first time, together."

She looked back at Mio, who was demurely following them. "All of us?"

"Of course. Come on, Mio!" He slowed down, catching Mio's hand and then surging forward again.

Mio gave her a helpless look, and she hoped that she'd live to apologize to her Queen later.


	25. Balancing Act

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaori appears in "The Unstuck Country", and is sort of an expy for Questing. Naturally, I couldn't resist putting her in.

There was a girl sitting on one of the lobby couches writing something frantically on a clipboard. Wataru sighed, wondering if this girl was from some version of her own world, if she was some version of herself or someone familiar to her, and if she knew how to leave if she needed to.

She wondered if someone else had approached the girl, or seeing that Wataru was around, had waited for her to approach. A lot of versions of herself, all the ones she'd met of Mio, and a few of the Taigas tended to let her deal with people.

They shouldn't. She had enough on her plate trying to convince her own half-brother than humans should be friends instead of food. Her life was enough of a balancing act without adding new people to it.

"Hello," she said. Maybe if she showed the woman the exit, she'd never return. Some people did that sometimes.

"Oh, hello!" the girl looked up from her clipboard wide-eyed. "I have no idea where I am, and I'd like to go. Nobori-san's probably wondering where I am."

"Nobori Taiga?" Wataru asked. Sometimes versions of her had taken Taiga's surname, and this might be a completely different person, so she wanted to make sure.

"Yes, do you know him?" The woman put her pen back in her clipboard. Wataru was sure that the lack of honorific on Taiga's name had told the woman that they were probably close.

"I would hope so - we're related, after all." She gave the woman a small smile. "Kurenai Wataru."

The woman stared. "But he's-"

"Let me guess. I'm male in your world." She was reminded of a tale that Song had once told her, where she'd tried to convince Judgement that he had dreamed the whole thing up. She'd never gotten that to work, herself.

"Yes." Shaking her head the woman got up, and gave her a small bow. "I'm Nobori-san's personal assistant. Murakami Kaori."

She had to be Fangire, because Taiga wouldn't have tolerated a human. In any case, she belonged home, not in this place where she'd eventually meet some version of herself like Wataru had several dozen times over.

"I'll show you the way to the exit. If your Taiga is anything like mine, he'll be worried." She gave the woman a gentle smile.

Kaori-san looked down at her one gloved hand, and reached out to touch her very tentatively. "You… you're King...."

"Yes." She hoped her smile wasn't becoming strained. "And Taiga's bishop in my world. But it's not something to worry about; this is just a place between worlds. If it makes you uncomfortable, you won't come back."

"No." Kaori-san shook her head. "I can tell that this is a place to learn about, obviously. It's a world I would have never dreamed existed."

Another regular then, Wataru could tell, groaning inwardly. One more person to watch over, though possibly she wouldn't need protecting. Wataru made a mental note to tell some of the Taiga's about their some-world administrative assistant, just in case.


	26. Centennial

"May you live to be a thousand years old," Taiga said, raising his glass. Water, of course, even she couldn't break him of that habit.

Mio hefted her glass as well, clinking it to Taiga's and then Wataru's. "May we rule together that long."

Wataru would be glad to make a hundred, to be honest. To celebrate her centennial, her hundred years of life. A thousand years would be unimaginable; few Kings made it that long, and she expected her life to be shorter than most. Especially with what she was trying to do to the Fangire people.

But she wasn't going to worry about that, at the moment. It was Taiga's birthday, and she wanted him happy, at least for the moment. He was her brother, and she loved him, and there could be nothing better than celebrating that fact. "May we find a way to be harmonious, and defeat all of our enemies."

They might never be harmonious, but Wataru could hope. Mio would back her, she knew, and if reluctantly, Taiga would as well.

No, she had nothing to fear. Nothing with the company around her, her family and friends who loved her.

Life could be better, but it was pretty good, and at that moment, she thanked the world for everything that she had.


	27. Prey

Prey? Humans, of course, despite the fact I'm half. Mom taught me to hunt, taught me how to feed on the Life Energy I needed to live. I don't like doing it, of course, but I know how.

Like every other Fangire, I had my first hunt at ten. It was a kid around my age. Mom and I regretted this, me more than her, but it had to be done. I had to be able to hunt if it came up. I was hunting solo a few weeks later. You don't have to be terribly adventurous to hunt. All you need is how to move quietly. Even Mio is pretty good at hunting, despite her shyness.

Of course, we both are quiet hunters, surprising our prey. She and I share the same tactics; we tend to strike from the shadows. Sometimes it's a good idea to talk to your prey beforehand, to get them to stop and slow down so you can get a good drain.

I think, sometimes, of how my father, who hunted Fangire himself, would think of what I did. But he's dead, and I hope he'd forgive me, because I need to live in order to prevent more humans from dying.

It comes down to letting a few die so that so many others can live. It's not an easy decision, but I made it a long time ago, and I stand by it now.


	28. Break Things

"I'm so sorry!" Mio exclaimed, looking at the broken viola neck in her hands.

"It's okay." Wataru had winced when it broke, but it wasn't the end of the world. It was a spare neck, after all, and it wasn't like she couldn't build another one.

There were a lot of things that were broken in her life, but she refused to think of them. Instead, she pulled another neck out of her collection and handed it to Mio. "Just hold this, okay, and don't move."

If Mio stood still, she didn't break things. It was when she did that things fell over and came apart. It was like Wataru's Queen was cursed. Still, Taiga had suggested that Wataru start teaching Mio how to put violins together so that Wataru had some help. Wataru suspected it was more to have King and Queen together than anything else.

"I just wish I could make violins like you can," Mio said. "Instead of being a failure."

Wataru sighed. "It took me a while to be able to do this. It wasn't overnight."

"M-maybe I should just make dinner. I found that corn pasta you liked! We can have it tonight."

"Later." Wataru forced herself to smile. If she smiled, maybe Mio would relax and learn. Maybe. She hoped.

In the meantime, she had violins to make.


	29. Finders Keepers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taiga has some plans that Wataru doesn't like very much. Incest trigger warning.

"Taiga," Wataru asked, as calmly as she could at the moment, "What in the hell were you thinking?"

"Well, you're King. I did what was right."

"What was right included GETTING YOUR KING PREGNANT?" She tried not to raise her voice too much. "Who happens to be your BABY SISTER?"

"Look, this way you're safe. Nobody's going to target a pregnant King. And you'll be a good mother, Wataru."

"Taiga, I am not going to be pregnant for eighteen months just so that I can keep people from trying to kill me." Maybe she should hit her older brother. She had before. And she was a better fighter than he was. Though his form was faster and lighter than hers. "And worse, this is incest."

"Mio agrees with me." It was an argument he used whenever he thought it would, because he knew that Mio didn't always think to say no. "She's quite eager to help you through your pregnancy and help raise the child. And just say the word - I'll make sure we're married in the humans' eyes."

"I don't even exist in human systems," Wataru grumbled. "I just don't want to be pregnant."

"Doesn't matter. You're royal, you can't abort it. Now, Mio can take care of her job, and Kurosawa-san can help me do yours for a few months."

"Why did I ever let you find me?" she moaned. "Seriously, I could just kept quiet and stayed a human."

He looked as irritated at she felt, but leaned down and kissed her. "Finders keepers," he said. "And I was meant to find you. For all of us."

Except me, she thought.


	30. Chapter 30

"Taiga," Wataru said patiently, "You know, you don't have to hover."

That's what her older brother - and Bishop, she reminded herself ruefully - tended to do. Never mind that Taiga was trying to be helpful, it was just a bit annoying to have him try to run her life as well as D&P."You know I'm just worried. You know what the doctor said."

Wataru grimaced. "Doesn't D&P need you today? You know, being the president and everything? I assure you, I'm not going to collapse of exhaustion."

"Bishops are responsible for the Fangire," Taiga reminded her. "You should be resting. Or at least sitting down. You know that your leg is broken....."

"Yes, the doctor gave me instructions," Wataru said sharply. "I'm not going to keel over working on violins, I promise."

Taiga pinched his nose. "I could just feed you, you don't really need that food. Or at least let Mio make lunch for you."

"I am a *King*, Taiga, I think I'm fully capable of taking care of myself." Why he thought she needed babysitting, she didn't know.

"You're defenseless," Taiga said. "I can't protect you like this if you insist on being like this. You have no Rook...."

"Taiga. Stop. Freaking out." She shook her head. "I am not going to go to D&P and play on a computer for a few hours."

"Then you're either going to have me or Mio as bodyguards until you heal," Taiga told her. "Or you can get fed and heal faster...."

Wataru hated life energy feedings. Her idea of a good meal never matched up with Taiga's. "Why don't you feed me, and then go back to D&P?"

"Only if you go back with me," Taiga said, adjusting his glasses. "I refuse to lose my baby sister."

That's what it came down to, wasn't it? The whole little sister thing. Never mind that Taiga wouldn't mind siring a kid on her, which was not big-brother-like behavior. He didn't care as long as it kept her safe.

Which was why her gynecologist was forbidden under pain of death to talk to her Bishop.

"I'll be fine." The Kiva armor would protect her, and he knew it. Not that he'd ever think so, of course.

"No, you won't," Taiga argued back. "And I'm not moving until I know you're safe."

Rolling her eyes quietly, Wataru went back to her violins, ignoring her Bishop utterly.


	31. Kings Worry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A conversation between Taigas and Watarus of various kinds.

"I suppose," a young man with a glove on his hand said, "That it's just as well that not everything goes to plan." He looked over at the pregnant woman sitting across from him. "I envy your Taiga. He's going to be a father in a few months."

The young woman snorted. "Don't." At the other's confused look, she added, "I'm apparently a hellion that Bishop doesn't know what to do with. And that's *after* I calmed down." She took a sip of water. "Or maybe he's a bit wary that I'm going to regress."

"I can't get why your pregnancy has to be so terrible for you," a younger woman said, sipping at some tea. "Mine was so easy...."

"Innocent, is it?" the older version of her asked. "That's because you never got to do Queen's duties before you got pregnant, or so I'm told." She raised her eyebrows. "Or had other factors in your life that made bearing the heir less of a priority."

"Enough of less of a priority that you weren't eating," a second version of the man sat down. "Enough. Though I suppose that turned out to be a good thing for me and my Wataru in the end."

"I was eating, just-" the first woman protested.

The second man took a sip of his water. "Not enough. I'm not your King, and you're not pregnant with my Heir, but I wanted very badly to put you somewhere where you could be watched to make sure you're getting enough energy." It was accompanied by a glare. "You've got the most important job in the world right now, and you need to devote all your attention to it."

"But-" the first woman started to protest. She was quieted by twin glares from the two men.

"I worried about my Wataru picking up bad habits from you," the second man said. "The ritual to make him support Mio's pregnancy is going to happen soon, and I don't want him to not eat."

"Falling?" the older woman asked, glancing at Innocent. "I thought you'd gotten that postponed. Last I heard, he could barely hunt."

"Barely, yes, but he is getting better," the second man said, looking at her intently. "He is Queen. For the sake of our people, this *has* to be done. No arguments."

"It's better to wait a century," the woman argued. "He's young. Let him settle in to being Fangire."

"At least he knew what he was," Innocent said softly. "But yes, while i wouldn't trade my daughter Lightning for anything, she came so fast...."

"You should have gotten pregnant as fast as Innocent did," the second man said, more calmly. "My Wataru's much more fertile than I am, and you're him, so...."

"Taiga-kun," the older woman said, "I know you're Falling's King and all, but it's probably best that I wasn't pregnant immediately after meeting you - my you, that is."

"You might have been less inclined to starve yourself," Falling's Taiga said. "I don't want to know where you picked up your bad habits, but if your me had paid better attention, then you wouldn't be in danger of starving yourself to death."

The woman winced. "I know." She looked over at him. "But Judgment made sure I was all right."

His face softened. "The Knight. I wish I had one for my Wataru. I'm sure yours wishes for one too, just to keep you out of trouble."

She smiled a little at that, playing with her necklace. "He has. More than once. I'm sure Haunting's wished for one too."

"I hope he's doing well. That both of them are doing well," Innocent said softly. "He - Judgment - saved my life...." The two Taigas smiled at her. She smiled back at them. "He gave me you... my you. I would have been too shy to go there if he hadn't brought me there."

"That's the most important part," the first Taiga said. "You belonged with your me."

"You were part of that too," Innocent remembered, looking at the first Taiga. "You were the one that came in while Judgment was trying to explain to me the importance of going to my Taiga."

"I'm the one that told the Knight to take you there," the first Taiga said, clearly remembering. "The attraction is strong enough that I wanted to take the first you I met home with me. I ran across it with... I believe it was Falling... before I could step back and let him be with his King." He smiled at the other Taiga. "I wish my own had been Queen."

The older woman shivered slightly, and the younger woman looked at her askance. But before the younger woman could ask anything, another young woman came in with food. "Want any?" she asked Innocent. "I owe you for cleaning up after the party."

"It's not a problem, Yamanaka-san," the younger Queen said. "You and Kamijou-san needed the time together, and I could do it, so...."

Yamanaka-san smiled at that. "So, I brought you some food. All of you." She looked questioningly at the foursome.

"I'll have some," Innocent said, reaching for an ongiri.

The two Taiga's politely deferred, and the older woman reluctantly did the same, after earning a glare from the two Taigas for even looking like she was going to reach for one. "You sure?" Yamanaka-san asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I'm kind of on a restricted diet," the older woman mumbled with some embarrassment, aware of the two Taigas watching her carefully.

"Oh, okay," Yamanaka-san said, still confused. "And you are?"

"Nobori Wataru," the older woman replied, bowing a bit. "But, please call me Song; there's too many of us around with that name. Including her." She indicated Innocent.

"Pleased to meet you," Yamanaka-san said. "I'll just leave this here. Thank you again."

With that, she was out the doorway. Song attempted to reach for an ongiri but was stopped again by the glares of the two Kings.

"It's not going to kill her," Innocent said gently. "The occasional bit of food didn't hurt me when I was pregnant, and the baby came out just fine. We don't anticipate having any problems with keeping her entirely on Life Energy."

"What did the doctor say?" Falling's Taiga asked Song. "That's the important thing."

"That I should stay off solid food," Song said, wincing. "Unless I needed to eat to blend in with the humans."

"And this isn't that kind of situation," Falling's Taiga said pointedly. "Unless *she*," indicating the departed Yamanaka-san, "starts looking at you oddly, you aren't going to eat anything. King's orders. And doctor's."

"Yes, King," Song said. Looking at the twin versions of her King, she folded her hands over her stomach. "But my King keeps me well-supplied with energy."

"Good somebody is," Falling's Taiga muttered. "I'm keeping an eye on you whenever we're both here."

"And I can keep an eye on you when he's not," the other Taiga said.

As silence reigned for a moment, a woman came in. "Taiga-san?" She looked from one to another. "And... Taiga-san?"

Both Kings beamed at her as she stared at them, as if not sure as to which one to go to. "How did your meeting go with the Elders, Mio?" Falling's Taiga asked. To the other Taiga, he explained, "Mio is our surrogate."

Mio blushed as she sat down. "I talked to them. They're making the adjustments to the ritual so that Wataru-san and you and I can...." Her blush became brighter and she bowed her head. "We can....."

At the other Taiga's interested look, Falling's Taiga explained, "my Wataru is going to be siring the child on Mio, because he's more fertile. We had to have an elder - Dawn Through the Silver Chopsticks in the Sycamore Tree - rewrite the rituals to allow us all to be connected."

The other Taiga nodded. "That seems to be a good way to go about it, if Wataru is as fertile as he seems to be... or she seems to be." He looked over at the two female versions of his younger brother.

"Mio," Falling's Taiga said, "Have you met the other two Queens?" He indicated the two female Watarus.

"No, I haven't," Mio responded softly. She looked uncertainly at the two of them.

"I'm Nobori Wataru," the older one said. "My true name is 'Song in a Painting of the Crimson Moon'. Call me 'Song' if you want to keep us straight."

"And I'm 'Innocent Song Played on an Unstringed Harp', and also Nobori Wataru," Innocent added. "I'm 'Innocent'."

"Pleased to meet you," Mio said, still a bit shy.

"Your Wataru is Falling," Song realized. "You're the one that-" She bit her lip.

Mio nodded, unwilling to complete Song's sentence.

"Hopefully the pregnancy will be easier on you than with me," Song said sadly.

"My pregnancy was kind of hard," Innocent said hesitantly. "If I hadn't had my Taiga...."

"I'm carrying it because as far as we know, Wataru-san isn't fully female in true form," Mio said hesitantly. "And he doesn't want to find out."

Her Taiga grinned at that. "It's in the right place," he said cryptically.

"If Wataru-san was truly female," Mio-san said, "We wouldn't need to be doing a surrogate."

Her King nodded. "Then it's a good thing he isn't, isn't it...." Falling's Taiga said, and then added softly, "But I hope someday to have a Heir that's truly my Queen's." He took Mio's hand. "And we owe you a lot for doing this for us."

Mio blushed even more.

As the two of them were talking, Song leaned over and softly asked Innocent, "Doesn't it bother you that Taiga is our half-brother?"

"I grew up not even knowing I was half Fangire," Innocent said. "It didn't bother me to be with Taiga because he was the one I was destined to be with, even if Mother tried to stop us from ever happening."

"But, we're too closely related," Song objected. "That's why I don't want to bear his child."

Innocent stared. "But Judgment said that it would be all right. That Fangire don't have problems like that."

"Judgment is a Knight, not a geneticist," Song said. "He's a wonderful Us, but... I have more in common with Haunting, and he's a full King."

"Sometimes I wonder if Judgment was meant to be, too," Innocent said.

One of the Taigas cleared his throat. "So, do we get to be let in on this conversation, or is it limited to people named Wataru?"

"Pregnancy stuff," Innocent said. "I don't know about Song, but I've told my Taiga things that made him a little lightheaded." She smiled.

The two Taigas looked at each other, as if to dare the other to ask exactly what it was. "Is it something that Song's Taiga needs to know about?" Falling's Taiga asked finally.

"It's something that my *doctor* might want to know about," Song said firmly. "I'll bring it up to him. I don't want my version of you to faint."

"And that is?" Falling's Taiga asked, eyebrows raised.

"I discovered an allergy to certain forms of energy and an attraction to others and...." Innocent blushed. "Um. Let's just say that, um... can we leave it to Song's doctor, please?"

Song nodded. "Thanks for saving me from having *that* discussion with a Taiga again."

Innocent gave her a small, sympathetic smile, and then turned back to the Taigas. "It really is a bit...."

"We understand," the first Taiga said. "Really."

Innocent smiled again, and ate another ongiri.

An alarm on Song's watch beeped. "What's that mean?" Falling's Taiga asked, instantly aware of the alarm. "Are you all right?" He looked like he was going to lunge forward any moment.

"I need to go," Song said. "Please, continue without me."

"Mio," Falling's Taiga said, "Please escort her to her door, and come back to me."

Mio nodded, escorting Song out the door. The two Taigas focused their attention on Innocent. "You're sure you're okay?" the first Taiga asked. "Are you feeding regularly?"

"I didn't have as many problems," Innocent said, smiling. "It's okay. You don't need to - um. I forgot. Kings worry."

She was met by two rueful grins. "Constantly, about Queens," Falling's Taiga said. "You're more precious than you can ever believe."

"Someday," Innocent said, "Song will understand that too." She looked steadily at the two of them. "Someday. It could be worse. I think that she loves her Taiga. I think we all do, all versions of us." She smiled at them. "Because you're precious too, and no matter if we're male or female, you're still our King."

"That we are," the first Taiga said, and the three of them sat back, content in that truth.  
-end


	32. Meeting the Girlfriend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ocean is a male Wataru with an older sister instead of a brother.

"Nee-san, this is Watanuki Kimiko," Wataru said nervously as he presented the violinist to his older sister. He'd already introduced her once to another version of his older sister, the one that spent a lot of time in that space between worlds, but this time it was for real. This time, things would be ongoingly either easier or more difficult. Watanuki-san, per the other version of his older sister, was Fangire, which should make her acceptable to his older sister. He didn't like the fact that his older sister was making him abide by Fangire law on this, but his older sister was more powerful than he was. "Watanuki-san, this is my older sister, Nobori Taiga, the head of Development & Pioneer."

"Hello," Watanuki-san said shyly, bowing at his older sister. He held his breath. Would his older sister be able to tell that Watanuki-san was Fangire, just like the other one had?

"Hello, Watanuki-san," his sister responded warmly. "I'm pleased to meet you." Wataru let out the breath that he'd been holding. "I understand from Wataru that you're a violinist?"

"Amateur, and I hope to be a professional someday," Watanuki-san said, smiling a little.

His older sister nodded in approval. Wataru was aware that she wasn't that fond of music, but she knew the story of their mother, and she had to be relieved that the violinist, this time, was a Fangire.

"You and I will have to talk sometime," his sister said, smiling. "Because we have a lot to talk about."

"Yes, King," Watanuki-san said, surprising Wataru. Had she known what his older sister was?

Maybe all Fangire knew her name, which made things interesting. But at least his older sister seemed to approve of the woman, which also made things much, much easier. He smiled, glad that at least for once, he'd done something his sister approved of.


	33. Expectant Thoughts

"Wataru."

Wataru looked up at his wife, Kimiko. She was smiling, which could have meant either a good audition, a good day out with friends, or a good hunt. But given that she'd just come back from the doctor, he was unsure how to handle it.

He was still getting used to the fact that he was married; his sister had pushed him into proposing to Kimiko, stating that they loved one another and it wasn't forbidden, so he might as well go ahead and marry the girl. He suspected that while she enjoyed having him be useful, she enjoyed even more a bit of peace and quiet.

Ever since his older sister had voyaged into that strange place between worlds and met the other version of her, he'd found his life changing. He'd been moved back into his sister's mansion, his sister stating that he was living there, no questions allowed. He was now Humanity's Shepherd, going after Fangire that ate more than their fill, but he was now under his sister's watchful eye more than ever.

Kimiko was his bright spot, but something about her smile today made him nervous. "Kimiko? How was the visit to the doctor?"

Her smile became wider. "I have very good news, Wataru!"

"Oh?" Wataru asked.

"I'm pregnant!" Once Kimiko got to know someone, she became more confident. In a way, it was hard to get her to *stop* talking once she knew you. But Wataru was more busy concentrating on what she'd just said to think about that.

"You're... pregnant?" Wataru echoed. Then he blinked again. "What?"

"We're going to be parents! My family is going to be so proud!" She hugged him tightly, him struggling a little in her stronger-than-human grip.

Her family. He'd met them more than once, her parents wanting to check out her 'young man' and make sure that he was all right. He was sure they weren't keen on the human blood, but he apparently was respectable enough, and the prospect of a future King or Queen in the family line was enough to quell any protest. His older sister had apparently told them of what she'd learned from her counterpart, that there were hims in other worlds that were Checkmate Four.

Wataru had known about that, of course, having met two Checkmate Four members, a King and a Queen. But it had made things easier with Kimiko's family, for which he was grateful. He didn't really want to be Fangire, he didn't want to have to deal with Fangire, but he was Humanity's Shepherd, and therefore he had to deal with Fangire.

"We are?" he echoed. "Kimiko...."

"Isn't this great, Wataru? To be parents so fast...." She was still holding on to him tightly. "I can't wait to tell my parents. And your sister...."

His sister was going to love becoming an aunt, he knew. Furthermore, she was just going to love Wataru settling down and raising a family. With Fangire children. She'd been so pleased when he'd gotten married, she'd helped finance the wedding and sent them off to America for the honeymoon.

He and Kimiko had returned with plenty of gifts, lots of stories, and he was sure that Kimiko had reduced the population of the United States by at least five.

"Taiga will be home soon," Wataru said. His sister loved spending time with her family, after all. And watching over her little brother.

"Oh, good!" Kimiko told him, brightening. "I can't wait to share the news."

Wataru smiled. "Is there anything I can do for you, Kimiko?" he asked, just so that he could seem useful, even if his brain was getting around the fact that he was going to be a father in a couple of months.

Kimiko smiled. "Let's sit down."

Nodding, still a bit unsteady, he let Kimiko sit him down. He had a feeling she had something she wanted to say but wasn't sure how to phrase it.

"Wataru," she said, hesitating, her smile dropping, "I... while I'm pregnant, I'm going to need to feed much more often. I know how you feel about Fangire and feeding...."

Yes, she knew exactly how he felt about it. She knew he hated Fangire feeding, but even he knew that they were predators. "I know. But you're not going to require anything to make me hunt you." He tried smiling. It didn't work too well. "Kimiko, I know what you have to eat. I know you won't go on a rampage. I trust you."

Kimiko nodded. "Wataru, thank you." She took his hands. "I... I hate to ask this of you, but I think you're going to have to learn how to hunt."

Wataru went pale. "Hunt?" he echoed. He needed more life energy than he had when Taiga had first found him, but he still rarely needed more than what his sister fed him. "Kimiko...." He swallowed. "I don't know how. Nee-san taught me how to bring out my fangs, but...."

"I know. Your mother never taught you because she wanted you to think you were human." Her voice was soft. "I'll teach you how. I'm sure your sister will be happy to help."

"Um...." He swallowed. "But...."

"It's good practice for when I have to teach our children," Kimiko said. "I know you don't need much, but it's traditional. Fathers and mothers hunt for the children."

He was going to have to *hunt* humans. *He* was going to have to hunt humans. "Kimiko...."

She held him. "I know. You don't like it. You don't need it. I don't want to have to ask you. But for the baby's sake...."

Wataru wondered how his human friends were going to react to him hunting. Megumi-san would probably be happy that he was a father, but none of them were going to like that little wrinkle. Him, humanity's protector, hunting humans? Killing humans?

"For the baby's sake," he echoed. "I'll try." At least Kimiko understood his stance. His sister would be so elated that he was going to hunt and be more Fangire.

It was funny how Kimiko understood him more than his own sister.

"That's all I can ask," Kimiko said, hugging him. "Thank you, Wataru."

With despair, he leaned into her embrace.


	34. And Rook Has Duties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rook is one of my other alternate Watarus, where he somehow ended up... well, Rook.

Wataru examined the violin through the light of the window. He knew that he was going to have a hard time getting used to being Taiga's Rook, or being Fangire at all. He still ate human food for the most part; his need for Life Energy was very low by Fangire standards and he barely needed to feed more than once a month, though his King fed him far, far more often. After all, Taiga-sama had said, he needed his Rook in good shape.

And Wataru intended to stay in good shape. He realized that he was Fangire, he shouldn't feel so bad for the humans. Yes, Fangire ate them, but Taiga was working a bit towards making sure they didn't overeat. That would please Nago-san and Megumi-san and the rest of the Blue Sky organization. He didn't want them to put themselves at risk for what was essentially a Fangire problem.

Really, he owed them that, since he became Rook and had to shift his life to protecting Taiga-sama's. That was an important job. If Rook did not protect King, King could not do his job and he was sorry that the former Rook was such a flake and such a problem for everybody. He had decided that when he took up feeding for himself, he would find those who harmed society, not helped it.

He tried to avoid the two of them. He didn't go to the cafe anymore or anything like that. Megumi-san had refused to break off contact, though, and she still called him. Outwardly, he got a job with Taiga-sama's company, Taiga's story for why he was hanging around King so much. Megumi-san thought it was sad that he was giving up his music work for the corporate world. Nago-san was even less pleased to see that his former pupil had taken the job, because Kiva was far more important than any job as far as Nago-san was concerned.

But Nago-san wasn't willing to let up, and he ran into the bounty hunter far more than he thought he would, more than he wanted to. Nago-san would harangue him about what he needed to do, that he needed to be back as Nago-san's pupil and save the world, and that he should quit his job with Taiga-sama. It had gotten bad enough that Taiga-sama had stepped in and had words with Nago-san.

The front door to his workshop - a converted apartment the level below Wataru's workshop - opened, and he glanced vaguely in that direction, seeing his King come in. "Taiga-sama," he said, putting the violin down. "Are you all right?"

His King smiled. "Yes, but if you don't stop calling me Taiga-sama...." He crossed the room to Wataru, hugging his Rook. "I'm your closest friend. You call me Taiga. King, officially, but here we're Taiga and Wataru, not King and Rook."

Wataru nodded. "Yes Taiga-sa... Taiga."

Taiga smiled. "Good. I just wanted to spend some time with my best friend. Do you feel like going out?"

Putting the violin down, Wataru smiled. Out meant protecting Taiga, whether Taiga liked it or not. "Oh?"

"Yes, like the friends we are." Taiga smiled. "I want to check out something, and I'd like you to come along with me."

"A new technology?" Wataru asked. That would be so much like his King.

"No, I'm looking at an... aquisition, and then... I thought I might treat you to lunch. Human food," he clarified. "You know you have to go to the doctor tomorrow, too."

Wataru nodded. "To see how well I'm feeding." Taiga was paranoid about that, more paranoid than he had to be, because Wataru was not feeling weak at all. But Taiga was not a person you disobeyed.

Taiga hugged him again. "You'll like it, you'll see."

Wataru nodded. "I'll put down this violin and get ready to go."

"And I'll just sit here until you're ready," Taiga told him. Which Taiga did, while Wataru put the violin down and got his coat on.

He rode on Taiga's motorcycle as a passenger, as Taiga had insisted on him doing as soon as he'd moved in with his King. Taiga drove to the Akihabara district of Tokyo, and they went to a small shop where the shop owner showed Taiga something that was right over Wataru's head. Taiga haggled a bit with the shop owner, and then they left the place.

"What did you get, Taiga?" Wataru asked.

"It's something small, but it's for Mio," Taiga said. "I found out about what she likes and I... well, I hope she likes it." Instead of the steady, reassured king, there was a nervousness that always manifested itself when Taiga talked about Mio. He was really in love with her and though Wataru loved her too, he knew his King and his Queen belonged together.

Wataru nodded, and they got on Taiga's motorcycle again. As they were heading through the parkway to Taiga's favorite eating place, however, a Fangire ran at them. Wataru gasped, alarmed, stepping in front of his King.

"I'll handle this," Taiga said grimly. "Out of the way, Wataru." He stepped forward. "I am King. I order you to stop."

The Fangire just grunted and ran forward, tossing Taiga out of the way and attacking Wataru. Wataru floundered for breath for a minute before remembering he could change form. He did so, and then Taiga was attacking the Fangire in his Saga armor. "For attacking a member of the Checkmate Four... I declare my judgment as King. The penalty is death!" He savagely attacked the Fangire that had tried to strangle Wataru.

Wataru himself joined in, attacking the Fangire to provide support for Taiga. But Taiga didn't need much help, attacking the intruder with the Jacorder in Bute Mode, slamming it into the right mode for his final attack. The Fangire was soon finished off, falling into hundreds of fragments.

They both detransformed, and Taiga looked at Wataru. "Someone just tried to kill you, Wataru."

Wataru nodded. "Which means that they might be targeting you... I'm supposed to be protecting you, not the other way around."

Taiga smiled. "Yes, but you're not at full power. For a while, I'll protect *you*."

"Taiga-sa-" Wataru protested, but stopped at Taiga's words.

"Wataru... what did I tell you earlier?"

"No honorific on your name." Wataru nodded. "I'm trying."

"Good." Taiga looked satisfied. "I'll talk to Bishop about who might have been doing the attacking. I want to know who and why, and stop any others before they get any ideas."

Wataru nodded. "Right."

"And in the meantime," Taiga said, wrapping an arm around Wataru, "Let's have lunch."

Wataru smiled. "As my King commands," he said with a touch of mischief.

Taiga laughed, squeezing Wataru's shoulders. "Let's go."

Smiling, Wataru followed his King.


	35. And A New Bishop Too

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Wataru-as-Rook, with an OC Bishop.

Taiga looked at the young Fangire before him, the newest member of the Checkmate Four, the Bishop that would make them complete. The young woman pushed up her glasses nervously, unsure on what to do with either Taiga or her new job; he smiled, knowing that she'd be a good addition, just like Mio and Wataru were.

"But... but," she said softly. "I... not me..."

"Silver Tree in the Leg of a Heron," he said patiently, to gain her attention, "You are my Bishop. You belong with us." She reminded him so much of Wataru and Mio when he'd first joined with them. This girl would fit in just fine, thanks.

"I... you can call me by my human name," she said shyly. "It's Nao."

"Nao," Taiga said warmly, "The job of Bishop is an important one but you have the support of the rest of the Checkmate Four."

The girl still looked worried, so he ushered her into the penthouse suite he shared with Mio and Wataru. The three of them had been married in his eyes some twenty years; their first child, a son, was doing fine just south in Okinawa.

"Wataru," he said to his Rook, "Beloved, please tell our new Bishop that you're comfortable here, even though you weren't at first."

Wataru smiled. Taiga smiled back at his beloved Rook, so much a part of his life. "I... I didn't want to be Rook at first. But Taiga's persistent, and so I became part of his family."

Taiga squeezed his Rook's shoulders. "I wouldn't give up Wataru for the world. Wataru, is Mio out?"

His Rook nodded. "Mio is out hunting traitors," he said. "And then she was planning to go to the doctor."

"We've been trying for a child, Mio and I," Taiga said. "The first baby was Wataru's; we're going for one between myself and Mio this time."

"Will I... be expected to have children?" Bishop asked timidly.

Taiga shook his head. "Not unless you want them," he said. "Bishop's duties are important and they do require a lot of travel. Mio wants a lot of children, so you shouldn't feel obligated to want your own. However, if you *do*... Wataru or I will sire them on you. You're part of this family now. Our children are our children."

The girl nodded hesitantly. "I don't know if I will... my family traditionally handles pregnancies in true form."

"True form pregnancies are good," Taiga said in approval. "And Bishop would certainly be allowed off of her duties for those months... Wataru and I can take up the slack for you if you get pregnant. It would be good, too, because it might counteract Wataru's illness." Taiga knew that he'd have to introduce their new Bishop to their bed, and soon. The sooner she was willing to have a child, the sooner that Wataru could have a child where he didn't have to worry about it inheriting his genetic problem. The true-form pregnancy would surely prevent it.

And his Rook was a good father, he'd seen it.

"Oh... okay," Bishop said, still looking uncertain. "If you say so."

So much like Mio and Wataru. This was going to work out so well. "Let me know when you're ready to move in," he said. "We'll make sure you have a home here. A bed. Bedmates. Because we are all together. We sleep together."

She nodded. "Yes, King," she said, nodding. She didn't look like she was sure she knew what to make of that, but he knew from dealing with Mio and Wataru that she would gain her resolve and then she would be the best Bishop she could be. Because they would be together.


	36. Not The Perfect Name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This features an AU Wataru with an older sister instead of an older brother. I dubbed him "Pancake". His sister had other ideas.

"Ocean."

Kurenai Wataru looked over at his sister as she sat at her desk, working on some kind of paperwork. "Eh?"

"Your name. I've decided what it's going to be." She nodded in satisfaction. "It's a good name for you."

"But I... I have a name," Wataru pointed out. He was Kurenai Wataru, after all.

"A human one, yes," his sister said. "But you need a proper one for the wedding. You can't get married without a true name."

Wataru had seen Fangire true names, pieces of poetry or sometimes nonsensical phrasings. He'd sometimes wondered if his mother had given him one, but had decided that she hadn't. It wasn't like she was alive to ask, anyway.

"I can't?" he asked.

"No, you can't," his sister said firmly. "So I'm giving you one so that you can say it during the ceremony."

"And that's... Ocean?" Wataru asked, confused.

"Ocean Cliffs Slice a Human in Half," his sister said cheerfully. "It's a perfect name for you!"

"Nee-san," Wataru moaned. It sounded bloodthirsty to him, a name that really should belong to her, not him.

"It's the name you're growing into," his sister said, "But it so fits. You'll grow to love it, Wataru, as you grow up, I promise."

Wataru groaned. It didn't fit him at all, but his sister was in her "I know what's best for you" moods, so he let it go. After all, he was still Wataru, and if he only had to use that name for the wedding, so be it. He could forget about it the rest of the time.

And his sister could still be deluded as she wanted, just as she always was.


	37. Take The Duties Away

"But I don't want to get married," Wataru said, looking at his older sister Taiga over the dining room table. She, as usual, was just having water; his side was a set of dishes. Apparently, in the absence of getting him to have Life Energy, she realized her baby brother could use more food. Getting him to eat more was her big obsession as of late.

His older sister just looked at him. "Of course you'll get married," she said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "Kimiko's parents have given their permission. Kimiko loves you. It's time for you to settle down and start a family."

He pushed things around on his plate and was rewarded by a scolding by his sister's Sagarc. He resentfully shoveled a forkful into his mouth.

"But I have duties." He was Humanity's Shepherd, his sister's way of forcing him under her supervision while letting him do what he was supposed to be doing - saving humans from Fangire who gorged.

"Those don't matter as much as this, Wataru," his sister said patiently. "Continuing your bloodline is much more important than your duties as Humanty's Shepherd. I want my little brother out of danger. If I have to take away those duties, I will."

Wataru gulped; the last thing he wanted her to do was to take those away. Then he'd tick her off by doing them again. "But I have a job to do. Kimiko understands that. She likes me doing them." That was the only weapon he had, really, against what Taiga wanted him to do.

His older sister relaxed a bit, maybe softening a little. "As long as your family comes first, Wataru. I don't want to hear that you're neglecting your wife and children to hunt our kind."

"I'm not even married yet, Nee-san," he reminded her.

"No, but you soon will be," she said, gazing evenly at him. "And if you really want a human ceremony, Wataru, I suggest you stop struggling against your destiny."

That would mean a Fangire one and only a Fangire one. Wataru tried not to shudder. The Fangire one was the one that mattered to his older sister; the human one was just for show, for human records.

"Yes, Nee-san," he said, bowing his head. He wanted that ceremony, to celebrate his human blood. And he knew that he had to have her cooperation to have it.

So he tried to obey and hoped that she would let him continue on as he was. Because he knew that she'd press and press and press until he obeyed her, or until he was dead.

And so, wanting to live, he obeyed.


	38. Even That Doesn't Matter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taiga's not the father. Wataru is. (Trapped universe, mentions/implications of incest.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trapped is a Wataru in a world where Fangire rule supreme, and Wataru is a prisoner living with Taiga and Mio.

"How are you feeling?" Taiga asked as Mio settled down. Pregnancy suited her - made her more beautiful and desirable than ever. "What did the doctor say?"

Mio blushed. "I... Taiga...."

He frowned. "You are all right, aren't you?" he asked. He hoped so. He didn't want her to be sick.

"I'm fine. It's just that... just that the child is Wataru-san's...." She hung her head, as if she'd done something wrong. "That's what the doctor said that the tests said....."

"Oh, Mio. It's all right." He moved to comfort her, as she needed to be comforted. "It's all right. I knew there was always the possibility, and it makes you so happy to have Wataru in our bed...." Truth be told, he liked it too, giving pleasure to his little brother when he wasn't busy giving pleasure to his Queen.

"Yes, but... I know my first child... our first child...." Mio looked up at him, stricken.

He rubbed her back. "It's all right, Mio. If Wataru can give you the children you want, then we can wait." He had to admit he wanted to be the father of Mio's child, but he was still going to be this baby's uncle. "And you said that you wanted lots of children." He cupped her chin in his hand. "Don't be upset, or feel guilty. We should celebrate! If your doctor says it's okay, of course."

"Um...." Mio floundered. "I guess it is?"

"I'm sure it is!" Taiga declared. He got up. He'd have to check with Mio's doctor and made sure everything would be all right if they celebrated, but he was sure it would be. Mio needed to be kept happy, and he would do everything in his power to keep her happy. Keep her reassured. Keep her from being stressed out.

After all, even if the baby was Wataru's, it was still her baby. And his. And that was something to celebrate.


	39. Everything Might Be All Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taiga might be worried about the young man she met, but she finds that he's in good hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This features a bunch of characters belonging to me and other people (with their permission). The main POV is a female Taiga, but there's also Knight (not mine) and Questing, along with Mio (who kind of immigrated from CFUD) and her grandson Koutarou (from the Den-O movies, though not a quarter Fangire there).

"Is something wrong?" 

Taiga barely stopped herself from looking startled. To be startled was to admit weakness, and she wasn't weak. A second later, she identified the speaker as a version of her little brother, though this one screamed full Fangire; one of the extremely rare fulls, then. "I'm thinking."

The Wataru gave her a smile that made her heart ache. Even though she got along with her younger brother, she noticed he was smiling less and less around her. At least in this place, there were enough Watarus that still smiled at her that made things not so bad, and even Watarus that let her take care of them like little brothers should. "About?" His tone was warm and inviting.

"There's this boy," she said, not knowing quite how to explain things to any of them. "He's Mio's grandson. With a human. I've had several of you tell me to leave him to his version of me, but...."

"Mio-san did what?" the Wataru asked, clearly confused.

"Had a child, with a human. I don't know how or why or why her Taiga let her, but...." She took a deep breath. "Something tells me I shouldn't stay away."

"Family's important," the Wataru said. "He clearly needs some guidance, of some sort." He smiled at her. "Nee-san, or some other Nii-san, would be best. No matter what Mio-san did, he's still family."

"Mio-san's family," another Wataru said, coming up to them. The female King, Questing. Questing crossed her arms. "Stop worrying about him, I talked to him and he's fine. He just... someone forgot to tell him something about his heritage, that's all. His Taiga's set him straight, and his grandmother is watching over him."

That was a relief. Someone did keep an eye on things, after all. She trusted Mio's judgment in many ways, and she knew Mio wouldn't abandon a member of her family, no matter how unfortunate that member might be.

"And yes," Questing said, "I am sure that he'll find a suitable Fangire spouse." She sighed, and Taiga wondered how many of herself Questing had had to explain it to. 

The other Wataru - Knight, she thought he went by - had subtly shifted his stance, eyes lighting up at yet another him that was a Checkmate Four member. She had to admit, she liked running into Watarus that had realized their proper place in society and their family. There were some of those around. There were others that were having a harder time, some of which would barely admit that they had Fangire blood, rebelling against what they truly were. That rocker and the other King had been frustrating to deal with.

She left Knight and Questing, walking towards a version of her Queen who was clearly watching the boy. She passed the Wataru with the electronic bracelet, who seemed to shrink into himself at her passing, and made a mental note to talk to his brother about it. Either that version of her was doing improper things again, or something else had happened. She gave him a warm smile, but didn't have time to comfort him right at the moment. She'd do it later, before she went home.

"Mio." She looked over at the version of her Queen. "Is this your grandson?" 

The Mio looked startled. "Um. Y-yes." She twisted a piece of cloth in her hands. "My grandson with Ryoutarou-san. I don't know how he happened, but...."

Taiga had no clue who this "Ryoutarou-san" was, but she'd find out. Just so that she could kill him. "It's all right, Mio. Mistakes happen. As long as you didn't love him." Her voice was soothing. "How did you meet him?"

"Um. Um. It was after I died, it was this strange camp and I don't know how I came back, but I did." She wiped a tear away. "I guess camp was affecting me. I was alive, but I wasn't myself...."

At least this Mio had beat the odds - like she hoped that hers would, based on the disturbing stories she'd been hearing. Albeit this one had apparently had to die and come back; well, as long as she came back, after all, that's what mattered. Taiga looked closer at the cloth. It seemed to be a quilt, a patchwork of fur and cloth. It apparently comforted this Mio, as she was holding onto it as if she was afraid she would fall into nothingness without it.

"No, you wouldn't have been." Her Queen wouldn't have loved a human if she'd been in her right mind. Sure, she'd fallen in love with Wataru, but even then, some part of her must have realized what he truly was. "What will you do with him?"

"Taiga-san says that he shold marry someone proper," Mio said quietly. "Fix what went wrong...."

Taiga nodded in approval. "Don't worry, Mio, you can do it," she said encouragingly. Her Queen, in any world, knew what was right and what was wrong. "I'll be here for you, as will your Taiga."

Mio, still focused on her grandson, barely nodded. Taiga got up, knowing that Mio would do the right thing, and smiled one last time at this version of her Queen. Yes, everything would be all right.


	40. What Family Is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Questing talks to another Wataru about the meaning of family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to Questing, and another bit about Koutarou.

Questing sat down quietly after running interference with as many versions of Taiga as she could for a version of her Queen and that Queen's unfortunate grandson. What she really wanted to do was start banging her head against the wall, but that was likely to draw Taigas with "hurt-Wataru-sense" - which she swore her brother-Bishop had - and she didn't want to be chased by an army of well-meaning Taigas with icepacks. As it was, she was violating her Bishop's order to take a day or three off from her regular duties and spend quality time in bed with her own Queen - no matter that neither of them could get the other pregnant. She was King and Mio was Queen and that's all that mattered to her Bishop.

Nearby, the other version of her Queen was busy warding away any Taigas that she'd missed with a gentle smile. Questing had hoped that she'd gotten all of them away so they wouldn't harrass Mio-san, but there was nothing she could do about it. Her first set of protests hadn't worked; only the statement that Mio was taking care of her grandson was sufficient to keep them at a distance.

Of course, she'd seen the Mio have to intercept more than one Taiga too, and as she saw the Mio stop another, she groaned, attracting the attention of another Taiga. He came over to her and sat down beside her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing a little rest won't cure." Maybe it was time to go home and get in bed with her Queen and make her Bishop happy. But not until this Mio and her grandson were safe. "I've spent so much time convincing versions of you that Kotarou is okay...."

"He is, as long as his grandmother or her family are nearby," Taiga said, watching the young man from the future.

"We aren't even his family," she reminded him. It was unfortunate that few of the Taigas she'd encountered were willing to accept that.

"He's Mio's family. Would you abandon someone Mio loved, even if it was somebody else's child?" Taiga asked, his gloved hand clenching.

"...No. But I'd respect Mio's wishes." Which none of him seemed to be respecting, much to her irritation. And Mio's.

"Her blood makes him family. And Fangire." Taiga looked at her with a frown on his face. "You don't abandon family, Wataru."

Questing sighed. Sometimes she wished her brother hadn't been so emotionally deprived that he could occasionally let go without freaking out. "Her Taiga is helping her take care of him. He's hardly abandoned."

"That's as it should be," the Taiga said with satisfaction. "Family has to look after family... and even if he doesn't need looking after, you do." 

She wondered where his Wataru was and if he was Trapped's. "Not always," she said. "Some of us can take care of ourselves. Some of us have to. I've known I was King as long as I can remember."

He looked darkly at that, and she remembered that in a lot of universes, Taiga had never forgiven his mother for not telling him about his baby sibling... or telling that baby sibling about their Fangire heritage.

"Not always," he said. "But...." He looked at her again. "I think it's time for you to go home."

Questing signed. "I should." It would make him happy. It would make her him happy. And to be honest, it would make her happy. "Watch over him for me, will you? And Mio."

"I will," he promised, and she knew that promise would be kept.


	41. Meeting A New Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He hasn't been there in a while, and there are new hims around. (Knight/Judgment, with Questing.)

Wataru studied this new King version of himself with some excitement. After all, he'd met several of himself who had become Checkmate Four; this was one of the new ones, who had come after he'd last been here. "You're new, aren't you?"

That earned him a chuckle from this version of himself. "Not very, but... I'm 'Questing Dreamer of the Castle's Tree'. Just call me Questing."

"'Blooded Moon Sits in Judgment', but most people just call me Judgment." he acknowledged. "So... you're King."

"Yes." She seemed amused by it all. "I've heard lots about you, Judgment. You haven't been around here for a while."

"No," he agreed. "My King and I have had lots to do." 

"I know a few people around here miss you," Questing told him as he eyed her energy. She seemed to have a lot of it. Paying attention to her health, at least. She and Innocent were good at that. "Innocent said if I ever ran across you, to say hello."

That brought a smile to his face. Innocent... how lucky she and her Taiga had been! Of course, he'd do almost anything for his Queen counterpart. Or his King counterparts. That's what Knights did, after all. 

"Tell her I said hello, too," Wataru said, letting this King know that he was grateful. "And how are you doing?"

She laughed. "Everybody told me you were like this... I'm great, actually. And before you ask, yes, I do feed properly."

He nodded. Apparently his reputation had preceded him! Which was fine.

"Just so you know, Nii-san is my Bishop, so... it's a very odd situation. And Mio-san is my Queen."

"And the Heir?" Wataru asked anxiously. 

"My Queen will have it," she said, and her smile dipped briefly, making Wataru wonder what happened. "It isn't proper for a King to be pregnant."

"But you're half human... and the Marks...." Wataru said. To have such a disregard... of course, her world might be different.

"You must be from a world where that happens," Questing said, her smile becoming tight. "I am King. I am not getting pregnant."

Wataru sighed. "All right, King," he said, smiling in apology. He would have talked back to her, but apparently it was up to her Bishop to set her straight, not him. "Tell me about the other mes that you've encountered. I think there are a few I haven't met."

Questing's natural smile returned. "There aren't many around right now, but... well, the most recent is a version of us who's convinced his brother to come up with a substitute for life energy."

"Seriously?" Wataru asked, unable to envision such a thing. And why would his nii-san go for it anyway?

Questing nodded. "There's a girl, non-Checkmate, who fell in love and got married before she met up with Taiga again. She's very nice. And a female Queen that looked male, and... let's see, who has never run into you? Ocean, maybe. He's got a nee-san instead of a nii-san. Trapped - he's the one over there on the couch - his nii-san took over the world and he's a criminal because he was killing Fangire...."

Wataru stared, but quickly recovered. Of course, that was the way it should be, but he hoped that this one came to his senses. "What happened to him?"

Sighing, Questing said, "He's a criminal. His nii-san takes care of him. That's all you need to know."

"...Okay." The world where his older brother was in charge of everything... that didn't sound too bad.

"In any case, I'm sure if you wander around, you'll meet versions of us you've never run into before. If you'll excuse me, I have a few more Taigas to spread the good news to...."

"Yes, King." With that, he inwardly sighed, and went to check out the version of himself known as "Trapped."


	42. Always Able to Tell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reiko has always been able to tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reiko is an OC cousin of Koutarou's (and the granddaughter of Mio).

Reiko had always been able to tell when people were sick. Or tired, or somehow lacking in some way. It was like some vital energy that was missing from them, that only she could perceive. But in some ways, the energy was the same from person to person, a quiet hum around her. 

It was Tsubasa who had caught her attention, with his different energy, his different sound. She'd been drawn to him, and he had responded, and someday she hoped to introduce her boyfriend to her family. He was strong and wonderful and he liked the same things she did. When she was distracted by those around her, he was always the one to bring her back. She felt warm in his arms, gaining strength from his embrace.

She'd met his parents, once. They reminded her of him, the same different hum. They themselves seemed not to know what to do with her, and she wondered why. But at least they didn't automatically disapprove. They asked her things like her name and weren't satisfied with the answer, but there was no other way she could answer. She told them about her parents, about her grandparents, at least the ones she knew. Her mother's parents were something of a mystery to her.

Someday, his parents would stop being confused. And yes, someday she'd introduce her boyfriend to her mother.

But in the meantime, she lay in her boyfriend's arms, satisfied, content, and wondered if anyone cared if they had sex.


	43. Things Left To Molder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asami's mother has some bad news for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Asami is Reiko's mom, Mio's daughter with Ryoutarou, and more or less Kamendressing because her nephew is.

She knew something was wrong when her mother called her. They stayed in touch, but they were quiet about it. It wasn't like her mother wouldn't outlast her by decades or centuries, and it was always better not to make waves with parts of the family.

"Asami-chan," her mother said, brushing her hair back, "Your Uncle Taiga asked about you and Reiko."

While her mother was trying hard to keep her face schooled, Asami knew that she was worried. Her mother had always approved of her choice to raise her daughter human, without feeding her Life Energy or anything like that. Even though Reiko had a Fangire true name because Uncle Taiga insisted on it, she didn't know about her ancestry, and Asami preferred to keep it that way. "Oh?"

"Yes. He, um, was a little worried because Reiko... wasn't registered as coming in for feeding. I told him no doubt you were feeding her, but...."

"I understand, Mom. She's doing fine."

Her mother gave her a small smile. "You know your uncle. He, um. Worries."

That, Asami thought, was an understatement. Even if he had calmed down over the years, there was a reason that Asami didn't take Reiko to visit.

"He says he's coming down to visit," her mother told her. "Um, I tried to calm him down, but...."

Asami felt a chill pass through her. Reiko's lack of education would show badly, and then Uncle Taiga would be pissed. Reiko would be confused, too, but she was less likely to kill her mother than Uncle Taiga would when he found out.

"I'm dead," she said quietly.

"I can try to explain it, if you want?"

"I don't think that's going to make it better, mom." She wasn't going to drag her mom into this. It had to be tough enough that Uncle Taiga was her mother's ex-husband. Even if their marriage had only lasted a day, she didn't want to strain things between them. "I have to face him myself."

She was the one that had kept Reiko away from her heritage, she was the one to face the King's wrath and hope that he didn't really want to kill his only niece. Besides, her mother was a terrible liar.

"If you're sure?"

"I'm very sure, Mom." She sighed. "If you have to tell him anything... tell him that I said something that worried you, too." Sometimes, she swore, her mother was better matched with Uncle Taiga than she was with Uncle Wataru.

"I-I will." Her mother's expression screamed that she didn't want to do it, but at least this way Uncle Taiga wouldn't take it out on her mom.

Sighing, she prepared for her uncle's inevitable visit.


	44. Doing What Needs To Be Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More Reiko universe! Taiga knows he might have to make a heart-wrenching decision.

Taiga sat down in Mio's living room, looking around. He missed being married to her, but at least she had Wataru and Ryoutarou. There were many pictures of them and their family, and Taiga was grateful that at least Mio had her children to be there for her, as well as her two loving husbands.

He wished he'd paid more attention to her two youngest - after all, they were related, even if not by blood. He was sure that they themselves were okay, but their children... well, when children were potentially starving, it was time for their kin to step in. He didn't know how he and Mio had missed it... well, he knew how Mio did; she assumed the best of everyone, and of course, she'd believe the best of her children. So even if it was her job, technically speaking, to go after Fangire that refused to use birth control with humans or raise their part-human children Fangire, she was still their mother.

So, it was up to him to determine if his own niece and nephew had broken Fangire law. It was a potentially heartbreaking job, because they were family; but family or not, if they had broken the law, they'd broken the law.

Taiga hoped he was just being worried, that Kotarou and Reiko were all right and their parents were feeding them like Wataru had been fed years ago. But he'd seen firsthand what depriving someone of their heritage could do; Wataru was still messed up from not knowing the Fangire side of his heritage.

If Reiko and Kotarou were like Wataru, he'd have to step in. At the very least, their parents would have to move back home so that the kids could be educated properly.

At worst... well, there was a reason that he was going down and Mio wasn't. He knew how hard it was to hurt family, especially for Mio, and he didn't want her to go through the pain of having to execute her own children.

"Here you go, nii-san," Mio said, smiling, as she put a glass of water down in front of him. She'd only brought water for herself, though he knew she loved to cook.

Just as he adored being called her older brother. It made losing her once hurt less.

"So, um... I hear you're going down to see Asami and Rintaro?" Mio asked. "I.. I'm sure they're doing fine...."

He smiled at his ex-wife. "I'm sure they are, Mio. I'm just a little concerned and I'd like to check it out myself."

"I worry about them sometimes, too," Mio said, smiling a little back. "It's... it's...."

"It's all right," Taiga assured her. "I'm sure the kids are fine, I just want to make sure."

"Asami was always a little... independent?" Mio looked down for a moment. "B-but she assured me that she and Reiko were all right." He could see her frown, and he inwardly nodded. Mio was worried, too, though she would never say anything.

"Neither of them comes up to visit," Taiga pointed out. He reached across the table. "I'll make sure they're all right. For botn of us."

He was answered, he was happy to see, with Mio's shyest smile. And then he thought that maybe he was worrying too much.

But best to check, after all. Best to make sure.

And if it had to be done, he'd do it.


	45. The Best of Tries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is Crownedfang and Lionessmio (they never got nicknames) dealing with Koutarou and his issues.

The young man glared at Taiga, then dropped his head. Taiga recognized him - the three quarters human grandson of a version of his Rook, who had apparently gone a little insane - as had her King, apparently. But nobody in the place was going to judge him for that - only pity him and try to take care of him the way he hadn't been before.

Sitting down, he checked the boy's Life Energy levels, which he found too low. He was wondering how to get him to feed, when the boy looked up. "Go away," he said distinctly, and then was looking down again. Taiga had to wonder what had happened, why he was so upset, and what he could do to fix it. As more than one of them had told the female King version of his Queen and little brother, the boy was family, no matter how ill-raised he might be.

"What happened?" he asked. If he was going to fix the boy - Koutarou - he had to know what was wrong. If needed, he'd fetch his Rook. He might be willing to talk to her when he might not talk to Taiga. After all, it was Mio he was related to.

"It's none of your business." The tone was flat, and Taiga wondered what had happened. He caught the eye of one of the Watarus, one that seemed to be in the place a lot, and asked him to keep an eye on the young man. 

The way that the Wataru answered, in a flat but obedient tone, made Taiga worried for him and what had sapped the joy out of that Wataru's life; but Wataru would keep an eye on Kotarou, he was sure of it. He coud fix him later.

After reassuring his Queen that everything was all right - he worried sometimes about the temptations of this place when it came to Wataru - he brought Mio back with him. "So, um, this is another me's grandson?" his Rook asked nervously.

"Yes, and I think he'll talk better to you than to me," Taiga said. "At least get him fed...."

Mio nodded obediently, and followed him to where Koutarou still was. Much to his satisfaction, the flat Wataru - Darkness, if he remembered correctly - was still there and watching the boy.

He sat down a little distance away and motioned Mio over where Kotarou sat. His Rook looked nervous, but after a moment spoke. "Um. Hi, Kotarou."

Kotarou lifted his head up. "At least you're not another one of him," he said.

Taiga stiffened and watched his Rook as she smiled at Kotarou. "Um, what happened?"

Looking down, Kotarou said, "Dad broke Fangire law. At least that's what great-Uncle Taiga said before he killed him."

Mio looked over at Taiga, as if unsure what to do. Taiga made a silent motion to keep Kotarou talking. Maybe by the time they were done, Taiga would have an idea. Right now, it seemed like Kotarou was grieving a traitorous parent - probably didn't know any better, given what he'd heard.

"He loved a human?" Mio asked.

Kotarou shook his head, looking for a moment at Mio. "Grandmother says that's not in effect anymore. He broke the law by not telling me I was a quarter Fangire. I'm not starving, no matter what he says!"

Taiga's heart clenched. No wonder the boy was starving! Ignorant of his heritage, no doubt in rebellion because he didn't understand, no wonder he was this way. Suddenly, he was glad it was Mio talking to Kotarou and not himself; he'd have dragged him off in an instant to be somewhere where he'd be safe.

"What is the law?" Mio asked, looking unsure as if she should hug her 'grandson' or do something else. "It's, um, different from mine...."

Kotarou's voice was leaden. "Queen kills those who don't tell their kids about their heritage; King kills those who feed from humans and break the truce. Except apparently Great-uncle Taiga wanted to check for himself...."

So, he was filling what would have been Wataru's duties in Kotarou's world. He was doing what he had to do. 

"I left before he could take me to a feeding center. I'm not going to be Fangire...."

Taiga clenched the couch tightly. Somehow, like several of the Watarus he'd heard of here, Kotarou was going into rebellion. But he had the heartbreaking feeling that he was not going to be the one to fix Kotarou's problem.

"B-but you are," Mio said gently. She went to sit beside Kotarou, and leaned down, level to where Kotarou was. "Especially by your law. Um. I don't know if I can make things better, but I don't think that they're going to be any better if you stay here...."

"I'm still not going." Kotarou's tone was stubborn and Taiga forced himself to stay there and let Mio deal with him.

"What's a feeding station?" Mio asked. "Um. Maybe I can help. You understand. I mean."

"Center," Kotarou said absently. "I... there's a substitute for Life Energy, and all of us are required to go there and have some. Even me."

"Um, you are a little... low? Maybe you should go. Um. If you haven't noticed, Taiga worries a lot about his family, and I'm sure your grandmother is worried too, and I'm sure it's not going to hurt."

Taiga's grip relaxed a little as Mio spoke softly to Kotarou. Bringing his Rook seemed to have been a good idea, after all. 

"I don't want to." Kotarou's voice was stubborn, like a disobedient kid's. Taiga gripped the couch tighter, only loosening it a bit when he saw Darkness looking worried. He smiled at his Queen's alternate universe version.

"B-but.. if you don't, you could be destroyed too, and I really... um... do you want me to feed you? It's real life energy, but it'll make him worry less, and then maybe you can talk?"

Taiga smiled as his Rook tried to be as gentle as any mother with a stubborn child would. 

"Not really," Kotarou told her, but at least he was looking at her. "I don't want to be part of a world that destroyed my father. And I'm certainly not moving in with my great-Uncle!"

Mio blinked, and looked over to him for support. He smiled back at her, silently encouraging her. She made motions like she wanted him to come over, like she was lost too. He smiled at her more, but shook his head with a smile; she could handle things just fine.

"Taiga just wants what's best for everyone," Mio said. "He wants to protct those he loves, and I know it must be hurting him because you're so sick and weak. Um, by our standards, anyway. If you feed, you won't worry anymore and you can talk to him about it."

Kotarou had sat there, flabbergasted. And it seemed like he was talking to a person who wasn't there for a moment, because Taiga swore he was addressing someone named "Teddy".

"Um, who's Teddy?" Mio asked after a moment.

"He's my Imagin," Kotarou said, and everything clicked into place. Kotarou was an Imagin host, and Fangire who hosted Imagin tended to be hungrier than normal. With Kotarou, it had seemed worse to him - that dimension's him - because Kotarou lost energy that way.

"Have you told your Great-uncle this?" Taiga asked, moving in.

"I hardly talk to my grandpa, much less my grandmother or anybody else except my aunt and my cousin!" Kotarou told him frustratedly. "I talk to Grandpa more now, but the Imagin thing is our secret."

"Um...." Mio blinked. "But you still could feed? That might make him... more willing to listen? I... um... King, can I tell what happened the first time you cam here?"

"Go ahead, Mio," Taiga said, granting her permission. She really didn't need it, but if she felt she did, he'd give it to her. 

"Um, my Queen, Wataru, was newly Queen, and he was scared, and we ran across this really scary Bishop. Wataru and I ran, and of course, Taiga didn't know what had happened, so he worried, and...."

"Everything turned out all right," Taiga concluded. "I don't worry about my loved ones if I know they're safe, and yours shouldn't either. But you have to take care of yourself...." He left the threat hanging in the air. It would hopefully make Koutarou think.

Mio laid her hands on Kotarou's shoulders. "Please," she said softly. "It will really make things better...."

"I don't think so," Kotarou said, shrugging her off. He practically bolted in the direction of the exit, slamming into the floor once before finding his way out, and Mio could only stare after him.

"It's okay, Mio," Taiga said gently. He was already thinking of what to alert the others of himself to, of what dangers Kotarou had put himself in. But in the meantime, his Rook needed cheering up. "Let's go home."

He would find a way to make it up to her.


	46. Bona Fide Removal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taiga rescues Wataru from what she considers a dangerous situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Fandomweekly on Dreamwidth, prompt was "Handle With Care".
> 
> This features "Ocean", a Wataru with a female Taiga.

The last thing Taiga wanted to see was Wataru being so miserable. He was balled up on his couch, as if to hide from the world, a mask over his face as his eyes scrunched shut as if that would make everything better.

Well, that and the traps he'd placed to make sure that nobody came near him, as if he was dangerous. It was the humans that were dangerous, for all that they were food. They'd tried to kill him for being Fangire, proving her point that they weren't to be trusted.

She would make him safe, take him away from this world that wanted to hurt him. He himself had been hurt, and she didn't want him to lash out at her, which was exactly what he might do.

"Wataru," she said softly. She tried to smile for him, tried to make him understand that she was there to rescue him. He opened his eyes, and she could see that they were bloodshot and red rimmmed, so ugly, so unlike the beautiful red and gold pattern she'd seen on his face ever so briefly. "I'm taking you home."

That made him stand up, which would have been a relief if he hadn't been edging away from her and shaking his head wildly. He was still reacting, not thinking. Suddenly, a bat shape flew in between them - a Kivat, Wataru's Kivat, the one that probably had raised him.

"He's not going with you," the Kivat said, sternly and steadily.

"He's my little brother," she snapped. Wataru needed gentle handling; the Kivat didn't. "I am responsble for him." Their mother was still alive, but it didn't matter. She was a traitor, and so it fell to Taiga to take care of Wataru on top of her other duties. "I will take him with me. I am King."

The sound Wataru's Kivat made told her his opinion of the whole situation - not that it mattered. She had to protect her precious little brother, even if Wataru didn't want it at the moment.

He'd understand eventually.

Taiga swatted the Kivat out of the air and grabbed hold of her little brother. One bit of concentration later, and they were behind the house. Taking a deep breath, she teleported again - this time to where her people were waiting. Wataru didn't resist, as if what little fight he had had been leeched out of him when she'd swatted his Kivat away.

He'd be fine, with rest and Life Energy, she told herself as she folded him into the back seat of the car. Yes, he would. He'd understand, he always had.

And if there was some difficulty, some resistance? That didn't matter. Only her family, her precious baby brother, did.


	47. Nasty Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taiga has to make a choice that she never thought she had to make. (Mentions rape, female on male.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a nasty AU to Ocean's universe.

Taiga watched the world go by outside her bedroom window. It was the best way to consider her options. Her very grim options.

She'd fallen in love with her best friend Wataru, who was human. She knew she shouldn't have, but she did, and it told her very much how the Fangire needed their Queen, to keep people from making stupid decisions like that. As it was, she resolved it the only way that she could think of – she'd forced him to bed in his own house, traumatized him, all for the sake of breaking a friendship and a love affair that wouldn't work out for either of them.

She'd planned for everything, except getting pregnant from it. She really didn't want to terminate the pregnancy – it was Wataru's child, after all – but Bishop had been right in pointing out there was no need for her to be vulnerable or carrying a half-human baby. On the other hand, it was the price she paid for falling in love.

Wataru was understandably traumatized and it was just as well that he wouldn't know about the pregnancy either way.

Dr. Takada, her doctor, had been as ambivalent as she had when they'd talked about an obstetrician for her. "There are a fair amount of humans with Fangire bloodlines," he'd said, "It might have explained the attraction." But he'd been as troubled by a part-human child, especially carried by a King.

It was her choice. To keep the pregnancy or to end it. To keep a piece of her best friend or be true to her people. It had been her choice to do what she did.

She just didn't know if she could pay the price.


End file.
